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 Roland Force, William N. Fenton and Kevin Deer. |
Sacred Wampum's continued
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Roland Force, William N. Fenton and Kevin Deer. |
| The returned belts were longer, wider and of
a darker color than expected. All emitted an ancient presence. Though
slightly tattered, a handsome, handmade quality distinguished them from
their glass-beaded replicas.
Wampum records, kept by the Firekeepers or Onondaga Nation in central New York state, were shared with the Onondaga chiefs at Grand River territory after the American Revolutionary war. A majority of Confederacy survivors decided to settle on land set aside for them in 1784 by the British Crown in what became Canada. Onondagas who remained in the new United States, kept wampum records that dealt with the Americans. With their council fire located in a new geographic center at Buffalo Creek, the Six Nations continued to function as one when dealing with Indian nations, Britain and the United States. Three kinds of wampum records kept at Grand River are Law or Constitutional belts, treaty records or relationship belts and ceremonial belts or strings. Of those returning, all are treaty or relationship belts dating back to the early 1700's and 1800's. A five-hour ceremony included tobacco burning by Shagohedetha (Reg Henry). An Opening, brief Precords that dealt with the Americans. With their council fire located in a new geographic center at Buffalo Creek, the Six Nations continued to function as one when dealing with Indian nations, Britain and the United States. Three kinds of wampum records kept at Grand River are Law or Constitutional belts, treaty records or relationship belts and ceremonial belts or strings. Of those returning, all are treaty or relationship belts dating back to the early 1700's and 1800's. A five-hour ceremony included tobacco burning by Shagohedetha (Reg Henry). An Opening, brief summary of two of the belts and closing by deyohowe:tho: (Jake Thomas) took place in Cayuga language. Translation was accomplished by oho:dra (Bob Jamieson). "It would take two weeks to tell the stories on the belts," Chief Thomas said. Acceptance of the belts marked the end of a story that began 95 years earlier. In 1893, Chief John Buck, holder of the Onondaga Turtle Clan title of Skanawati, died. As fire-keeper and keeper of the wampum for the Six Nations Iroquois at Grand River, the belts in his care should have been returned to the chiefs. Six years later, Mr. Thomas R. Roddy, a Chicago, Illinois, dealer in Indian relics, purchased 11 belts from Joshua Buck, Chief Skanawati's son. The following year, he offered one of them to the Buffalo Historical Society, Buffalo, N.Y., for $2,000. |
